A shocking incident unfolded at Rockaway Beach this week, where a woman fell victim to a shark attack, leaving her with devastating injuries. According to sources within the police department, the gruesome bite is believed to have resulted in the loss of approximately 20 pounds of flesh.

The unfortunate victim, a 65-year-old woman from Queens, was swimming alone near Beach 59th Street on Monday, shortly before 6 p.m., when the attack occurred. The shark seized a large portion of her left leg, above the knee, causing significant damage, as depicted in a photograph of the injury.

Swift action from vigilant lifeguards proved crucial in the aftermath of the attack. Hearing her distress calls, they rushed to her aid, pulling her to safety on the shore. Immediate first aid was administered, and a tourniquet was expertly applied to her leg to control the bleeding while awaiting the arrival of first responders.

The woman was swiftly transported to Jamaica Hospital, where medical staff reported her condition as stable yet critical as of Tuesday.

This rare occurrence of a shark attack, believed to be the first at Rockaway Beach since 1953, prompted the City Department of Parks & Recreation to take immediate action. As a precautionary measure, swimming and surfing activities were suspended at the popular beach location on Tuesday.

The Parks Department expressed their well-wishes, saying, “We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer.” While acknowledging the fear-inducing nature of the incident, they emphasized the rarity of such events, reassuring New Yorkers that shark bites at Rockaway are highly uncommon. The Department remains committed to closely monitoring the beach and swiftly clearing the water if a shark is spotted.

In response to the incident, the NYPD conducted a thorough search of the area using helicopters and drones but did not detect any sharks.

Source: New York Post